SPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 13, Episode 5 of “The Masked Singer,” “Ghostbusters Night,” which aired March 12 on Fox.
If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Not 911, because as a wise man once said, “911 is a Joke.” That wise man was Flava Flav, and yeah boyeeee, he was the latest celebrity to be revealed Wednesday on Fox’s hit music competition series “The Masked Singer.” Flav was unmasked as the Space Ranger, during the show’s “Ghostbusters” themed night.
So get up and get get get down. Flavor Flav was eliminated for singing The Bus Boy’s “Cleaning Up the Town.” Flav told Variety that participating in “The Masked Singer” was a bucket list item for him, even if he was gone too soon.
“I love surprising people and fooling people,” he said. “I love being like that, the center of attention. When I saw my episode last night, oh my God. I went crazy. Because also, I am my biggest fan. I love me some me. I had fun doing the show.”
“The Masked Singer” didn’t try to hide the fact that it was Flav, starting with host Nick Cannon quickly figuring it out and sharing with the panelists that Space Ranger was one of his favorite people ever.
And by the end, for Space Ranger, everyone got it right — almost. Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg and Rita Ora named Flavor Flav. Ken Jeong (jokingly, we think), instead went with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
In his first week, the clue package for Flav included the letters “P.E.” (of course, for Public Enemy), and mention of “the hardware that I wear around my neck.” The Space Ranger costume included a clock hidden on it – just like the ones Flav wears around his neck. “So all you have to do is take those clues and match it up to my voice,” he said. “A caveman could figure it out! They kind of did me dirty on that, but it’s all right. When it comes to Flavor Flav, and my last name is Drayton, when you have me on your show, you get a high ratin’.”
Flav sang “Bad Blood,” by Taylor Swift, his first week and “Cleanin’ Up the Town,” by Bus Boys (from the “Ghostbusters” soundtrack) for week two. “I have one of the most distinctive voices in the history of rap music,” Flav said. “You know, I mean, my voice, my voice is distinctive, like James Earl Jones or Samuel Jackson.”
Flav admitted he was disappointed to head out so soon. “I wanted to stick around longer and do a couple of more songs,” he said. “Because one thing about me, I love being on TV. I love it. And they didn’t give me enough TV time. So I was real kind of sad when they revealed it was me after the second song.”
Flavor Flav as Space Ranger joins Sheana Shay as Bat, Aubrey O’Day as Ant, Oscar de la Hoya as Fuzzy Peas and Cedric the Entertainer as Honey Pot as the celebrities unmasked on “The Masked Singer” Season 13.
“Ghostbusters Night” opened with guest Ernie Hudson, star of the original film franchise — decked out in his “Ghostbusters” uniform. Meanwhile, the night centered on the four remaining Group B contestants, as Group A winners Coral and Paparazzo have previously moved to the next round.
Back for Season 13 are host Nick Cannon, alongside panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Rita Ora and Robin Thicke. Ora was at the desk for a third consecutive season to fill in for Nicole Scherzinger.
New this season, a mysterious masked character dubbed “Detective Lucky Duck” will appear throughout the season to give clues and help the panelists “quack” the case of who’s under the masks. (He first appeared in this episode.)
Also new: The “Crack the Case” clue cases, in which more clues are shared about the eliminated contestant. Space Ranger’s clue case included sunglasses.” “When you shine as bright as I have, sometimes you just gotta go incognito,” he said. “Plus, I look pretty fly in it anyway.”
“The Masked Singer” Season 13 themed episodes include a tribute to franchises “Shrek” and “Ghostbusters,” as well as the Grand Ole Opry as it hits its 100th anniversary. Also on tap are a tribute to the Rat Pack and themes such as “Voices of Olympus: Unmasking of the Gods,” “Carnival,” “Boy Bands,” “Decades,” “Lucky 6 Speed Guessing,” a “Clash of the Masks” and the return of “Soundtrack of My Life.”
Masked contestants in Season 13 include Honey Pot, Space Ranger, Cherry Blossom, Coral, Fuzzy Peas, Ant, Paparazzo, Griffin, Boogie Woogie, Pearl and Bat, with more to be announced later.
Here were the performances on Wednesday’s Episode 5, “Ghostbusters Night”:
Pearl, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Pearl
Song: “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” by Blue Oyster Cult
Panel guesses: Joan Jett, Madonna, Melissa Etheridge
Ghostbusters Clue: “Best Seller.” “I’m a bit of a ghostwriter myself. I know how to put pen to paper.”
Bat voiceover: “Everyone’s got a few skeletons in their closet, a few ghost stories, and I’m no exception. As a young Pearl I was stuck in a tiny little tide pool off the side of a highway no one’s ever heard of. My home life was rocky to say the least. So I drifted away before I even hit high school. I found myself just a kid tending bar in a hopeless place, serving up drinks with a double barrel at the ready, in case the clientele got crazy. I couldn’t wait to get out. I dreamed about it every day. Until one day I decided to swim into new waters, launching myself almost by accident into a tidal wave of success. Now, looking back, it’s funny. I appreciate all I learned from that tidepool. It showed me that if you work hard, show up and no matter what keep fighting. So all I know, these days, I’m not afraid of nothing. Especially no ghosts.”
Previous song: “Saving All My Love For You,” by Whitney Houston
Previous panel guesses: Regina King, Shania Twain, Joan Jett
Griffin, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Griffin
Song: “Disturbia,” by Rihanna
Panel guesses: Freddie Prinze Jr., Jason Segel, Robert Pattinson
Ghostbusters Clue: From McKenna Grace: “Not only is he an incredible performer, but he’s an even better person. He’s like a dad on set. I’d know this because I’ve co-starred with him.” Said Griffin: “McKenna’s fantastic, she’s had a great career. One of my kids thinks I’m very cool because I once worked with her.”
Griffin voiceover: “Making it to Ghostbusters night feels like freaky fate. Because I played that soundtrack on repeat as a kid. Growing up, I loved to sing. And believe it or not, there’s nothing I loved more than Broadway. I was a total theater geek, collecting Playbills long before it was cool. The kids my age didn’t understand. They showed no mercy, teasing me relentlessly, saying why are you doing that? Dark thoughts started to creep into my mind. So I hid that part of myself. Literally. I built a fort with a record player, where I would sing my heart out. That’s where that Ghostbusters soundtrack came in. Being here has allowed me to tap back into that passion that I was too embarrassed to show as a kid. And it’s liberating spreading my wings. So tonight, here’s a dark pop anthem for all you kids being called freaks or geeks. Welcome to the club.”
Previous song: “Rewrite the Stars,” by Zac Efron and Zendaya
Previous panel guesses: Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., David Arquette
Space Ranger, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Space Ranger
Song: “Cleanin’ Up the Town,” by Bus Boys
Panel guesses: Tracy Morgan, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Flavor Flav
Ghostbusters Clue: A globe. “The Ghostbusters always save the day. And I want to help them out, but I was busy touring the world.”
Space Ranger voiceover: “Just like the Ghostbusters had their Ecto-1, I also had a vehicle change my life. Before my career took off, I was doing odd jobs. Everything from catering to schlepping furniture around New York in the hot summer. Then one day, me and my partner came up with a crazy idea in the back of a moving van. We had big dreams. But, no one was really wanting to hitch a ride with this old cowboy. So who ya gonna call? I know who I did. A beastly band of boys who ended up hooking up our careers into hyperdrive. And helped our group start a worldwide movement. We took our show on the road and cleaned up the town. Yep, it was scary success. So here’s a spooky song in honor of the baddest ghostbusting group of cats in town.”
Previous song: “Bad Blood,” by Taylor Swift
Previous panel guesses: Tracy Morgan, Floyd Mayweather, Marlon Wayans
Boogie Woogie, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Boogie Woogie
Song: “Radioactive,” by Imagine Dragons
Panel guesses: Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Mraz, George Clooney
Ghostbusters Clue: Delivered by Ernie Hudson: “Doctorate of Medical Science.” “Nothing scary about this clue. In fact, being attached to this show was a very pleasant surprise.”
Boogie Woogie voiceover: “Just like in Ghostbusters, there are ghosts everywhere. You know what I do? I put on my headphones, and I just keep moving. You want to gossip? Super not my thing. I try to keep it positive with everything I do. It’s something I learned from my parents at a very young age. I mean they made kids shows, so it makes sense. They did everything they could to give me a really good life. Little did I know that this sunny outlook would spark my whole career, and that’s what I’ve become known for. I’ve been told that my positivity radiates, and that it’s even saved lives. Imagine that. But of course with all the optimism comes criticism. Some people call me naïve, sheltered, fake. I’m not gonna lie, that hurts. But I’m not going to stop being me, I can’t. And if it continues to make people happy then I have done my job. But for tonight only, I’m tapping into a darkness that I never show. To spook the competition.”
Previous song: “I Believe In a Thing Called Love,” by the Darkness
Previous panel guesses: Adam Lambert, Andy Samberg, Mika, Criss Angel
In Season 12, Boyz II Men (as the Buffalo) won the Masked trophy, beating out Mario, as the Wasp, who was this season’s runner-up. They joined AJ Michalka as Strawberry Shortcake; Kobie Turner as Goo, Jana Kramer as Royal Knight, Bronson Arroyo as Sherlock Hound, Drake Bell as Ice King, Bethany Hamilton as Macaron, Natalie Imbruglia as Bluebell, Laverne Cox as Chess Piece, Andy Richter as Dusty Bunny, Paula Cole as Ship, Marsai Martin as Woodpecker, Yvette Nicole Brown as Showbird and John Elway as Leaf Sheep as the celebrities unmasked on “The Masked Singer” Season 12.
“The Masked Singer” comes from Fox Alternative Entertainment. Rosie Seitchik, Craig Plestis and Cannon are executive producers, while Seitchik serves as showrunner. The series is based on the South Korean format created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp.
